Cap assembly



R. E. NOLL CAP ASSEMBLY Jan. 29, 1963 Filed July 5. 1959 F/CL 2 m. w n m A T TOP/VEVS Patented Jan. 29, 1963 3,075,45ii' CAP ASSEMBLY Robert E. Neil, Albany, Caiit., assigner to Noll Manufacturing Company, Berkeley, Calif., a corporation of California Filed July 3, 1959, Ser. No. 324,884 2 Claims. (Cl. 95E-46) The invention relates to devices especially for use in building construction and for installation around a pipe projecting upwardly through a substantially hat or a sloping roof. A device of this general nature is shown in the copending application of Robert L. Hatcher, Serial No. 741,653, tiled lune l2, 1958, now Patent No. 2,985,091 entitled Cap Assembly.

Cap assemblies of this kind are primarily characterized by the provision of a base which engages the building roof and has a portion surrounding the upstanding pipe, accommodating different angles of slope or pitch of the roof. The cap assembly also has a generally cylindrical tube designed to encompass or surround the pipe and rest upon the base. Even though these parts are separate during manufacture, shipment and storage, they are assembled at the site and are more or less permanently affixed together.

It is an object of the invention to provide a cap assembly which can easily be put together on the site and will remain in assembled condition thereafter.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cap assembly having a securing structure for retaining tl e assembled parts properly in assembled condition.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cap assembly which does not need any external bracing or guying.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a cap assembly which is readily manufactured by mechanisms customarily found in sheet metal shops.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a cap assembly of an improved nature.

vOther objects, together with the foregoing, are attained in the forms of the device described in the accompanying description and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE l is a side elevation of a portion of a cap assembly constructed in accordance with the invention and installed on a roof, the roof being shown in crossseetion, and portions of the figure being broken away to reduce its size.

FIGURE 2 is a fron-t elevation 'of the cap assembly of FIGURE l.

FIGURE 3 is a cross-section to an enlarged scale, the plane of section being indicated by the line 3-3 of FIP- URE l.

FlGURE 4 is a View to an enlarged scale similar to FIGURE 2 but showing Ia modification in the construction.

While the cap assembly pursuant to the invention can be embodied in a number of different forms, it has successfully been manufactured and used as shown herein.

In the customary instance, the device is installed on a roof 6 of a building which has a slope that may vary from building to building or may even be varied at diterent times in a single installation of the cap assembly. Resting on the roof at the same slope as the roof itself is a base plate 7 of sheet metal. This is usually galvanized iron of approximately twenty-two gauge and therefore is somewhat liexible. The base plate 7 is approximately rectangular in plan and has a central opening so that it can be placed around an upstanding vent pipe S, or the like, projecting upwardly above the root o. The base plate 7 is installed on the roof in the customary manner and is usually protected with rooting or roof covering material so as to afford a watertight construction.

Upstanding from the base plate 7 is a sheet metal cone 11, at its lower perimeter 12 being aiiixed to the plate 7 in the customary watertight way. The cone 11 is approximately symmetrical about a first axis 13 approximately normal to the plane of the base plate 7. While geometrical terms are utilized herein, they are utilized primarily as guides and to give a general idea of the space relationship of the parts, although in practice substantial variations from geometrical precision occur. The cone or frustum of a cone 11 extends upwardly to 4a top perlineter 14 of sutcient size as to lie around the pipe S in any adjusted position.

Designed to telescope over the pipe 8 and to rest upon the base cone 11 is an approximately circular cylindrical tube 16. This is generally symmetrical about a second axis 17 approximately coincident with the axis of the pipe 8. The axes y13 and 17 are substantially coplanar and approximately intersect or are approximately aligned even though they are not precisely coplanar. The circular cylindrical tube 16 is likewise made of similar sheet metal .and at its lower portion is dened by an approximately circular margin 1S. This is of a size to rest upon the base cone 11 at any one of a number of different inclinations as the axes 17 and 13 coincide or intersect at different angles. ln -th-is way, the same tube 16 and base 7 can be utilized for different slopes of roofs. While the (theoretically circular) edge 18 of the tube may not alwaysexactly coincide geometrically with the corresponding momentary planar cross-section of the base cone 11 (which is theoretically elliptical except when the axes coineide, when it is also circular), the sheet metal parts distort slightly so that there is a reasonably tight interconnection and so that the weight or other downward thrust of the tube 16 is well transmitted to and borne by the base cone 11.

Since the tubey 16 extends upwardly for a substantial distance above the roof 6 and may be disposed at virtually any angle within wide limits with respect to the base cone 11 and since, furthermore, the pipe 8 may |be of sufiiciently smaller diameter than that of the tube 16 so that the pipe itself is not a support, it becomes necessary so to connect the tube 16 and the base cone 11 as to resist dislodging forces. These forces primarily are wind forces and can come from any directionupon the tube 16. It is highly desirable to omit the use of any guy wires or the like and to have the apparatus completely self contained and rigid after initial installation.

For those and other reasons, the tube 16 adjacent its lower edge 18 is preferably deformed or shaped to provide `a pair of channels 21 and 22. These channels are substantially identical and are located diametrically opposite each other. The channels lare preferably formed from the same material as the tube 161. They lare shaped so as to provide an outer, generally planar face 23 merging with side walls 24 and 26 which in turn merge smoothly with the remaining circular portion of the tube 16. The channels preferably extend in the same direction `as the axis 17 and open at the bottom edge 13 of the tube `and exten-d uniformly upwardly along the tube until they terminate abruptly at slits 2.7 and 28 formed inthe opposite sides of the tube.

Interengaging with the channels 21 and 22 are straps 31 and 32 conveniently anchored to diametrically opposite portions of the lbase cone 11 by Iany suitable means, such as pairs of rivets 33 and 34, so that the straps 31 and 32 are rigidly or immovably fastened at their lower end. The straps themselves are preferably made of sheet metal having a consider-able degree of ilexibility so that they lie closely along the sides of the base cone 11 and can readily be disposed within the channels 21 `and 22.

The vstraps enter the channels at the lower edge 16 of the tube 16 and lie closely adjacent the side walls 24 and 26 of the channels and against the face wall 23 thereof.

When the installation is made, the straps are first threaded upwardly through the channels, passing upwardly and outwardly through the slits 27 and 28 at the tcp. When the tube 16 is 'lrrnly rested upon the base cone 11 and is cocked at the right attitude, then the straps 31 and 32 are put under some tension and are sharply bent over the upper margins 36 and 37 of the channels and are bent downwardly thereover, as shown in FIGURE l.

The result of this interengagement is that the straps are tensioned slightly so that they lie well within and interlock with the channels 21 and 22 and so that the tube 16 is held firmly upon the base cone 11. The straps 31 and 32 thus hold the tube 16 easily against dislodging forces in opposite directions and in the plane of the straps. In addition, since the straps 31 and 32 and the channels 21 and 22 have a relatively long interenga-gement, and since the laterally interlitting parts of these elements are in substantial abutment with each other, the interlocked straps and channels serve as tight and stiir1 supports against lateral dislodgment of the tube 16 with respect to the base so that winds blowing at right angles to and especially in the plane of the straps 4are readily resisted.

It is found in practice that a device constructed in accordance with FGURES 1, 2 and 3 has adequate stability in all directions.

A variation is illustrated in FGURE 2 in which only Ithe single rivet 33 is utilized for each of the straps, such as 31, the other rivet, such as 34, being omitted, the structure otherwise being the same. The functioning of the FGURE 2 structure is substantilly the same as that of FIGURES 1 and 3 as the lateral and longitudinal in` terengagement of the strap 31 with the channel 21 is suciently iirrn so that the additional rivet 34 is not needed. There is a saving in fastening rivets. Also, the rivet 33 can be loose enough so that during shipment the strap 31 can be rotated out of its position of use for better nesting and storage.

Another variation is shown in FIGURE 4. Therein, the single rivet 33 is utilized with the strap 31 but the channel is made somewhat differently. it is preferably interrupted and is actually comprised of a pair of bridges 41 and 42, both of which in cross-section are almost the same except that th-e circumferential width of the bridges is somewhat greater than that of the strap 31. This is for the purpose of permitting some rotational adjustment about the axis 17 of the tube 16A. While the transverse stability is not quite as great, yet if the two straps 31 and 32 are carefully located and vare sharply bent upon installation, a suiiciently rm interrelationship of the tube and base then results for most services. The

l FIGURE 4 device has an advantage in that it does not require such accurate die Work or manufacturing tolerance and can more readily be assembled in the field because of the freedom of interengagenient between the strap 31 and the two bridges [r1 and 42 constituting the channels.

In all forms of the device, there is provided a cap lassembly having substantial advantages for various `different installations, and an improved product economical t0 manufacture and effective in use.

What is claimed is:

l. A cap assembly comprising a base plate having an opening therein, a frustum of a conehaving its larger end affixed to said base plate around said opening and having its smaller end open, a circular cylindrical tube fitting over said open end,` said tube having a margin abutting the outer surface of said frustum, said tube having a diametricaliy opposite pair of circumferentially extending slits therein substantially spaced from said margin, means between said margin and said slits forming elongated channels, each of said channels including a pair of outstanding side walls normal to said margin and extending between said margin and one of said slits and including a face wall extending from the outer portion of one wall of said pair of side walls to the outer portion of the other wall of said pair, a pair of flexible straps, each of said straps having parallel side edges spaced apart substantially the same amount as said side walls, and means for securing said straps at one end thereof to said frusturn on a diameter thereof whereby each one of said straps is located within one of said channels and passes through the adjacent one of said slits with the edges of said strap in substantially continuous abutment with said side Walls of said one of said channels.

2. A cap assembly as in claim 1 in which said side walls and said face Wall are integral with said tube and form a `continuous part thereof.

References @ited in the le of this patent UNETED STATES PATENTS 414,20@ Elliot Nov. 5, 1889 605,263 Tharp June 7, 1898 1,588,321 Lord June 8, 1926 2,890,642 Fernsten et al June 16, 1959 2,909,113 Hatcher Oct. 20, 1959 FORElGN PATENTS 329,133 Switzerland Apr. 15, 1958 OTHER REFERENCES Standard `Furnace Supply Co., Ltd., 714 South 72nd Street, RO. Box 1312, Omaha, Nebraska, Copyright 1955. See page 16. List Price Catalogue #55. 

1. A CAP ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A BASE PLATE HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN, A FRUSTUM OF A CONE HAVING ITS LARGER END AFFIXED TO SAID BASE PLATE AROUND SAID OPENING AND HAVING ITS SMALLER END OPEN, A CIRCULAR CYLINDRICAL TUBE FITTING OVER SAID OPEN END, SAID TUBE HAVING A MARGIN ABUTTING THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID FRUSTUM, SAID TUBE HAVING A DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE PAIR OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY EXTENDING SLITS THEREIN SUBSTANTIALLY SPACED FROM SAID MARGIN, MEANS BETWEEN SAID MARGIN AND SAID SLITS FORMING ELONGATED CHANNELS, EACH OF SAID CHANNELS INCLUDING A PAIR OF OUTSTANDING SIDE WALLS NORMAL TO SAID MARGIN AND EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID MARGIN AND ONE OF SAID SLITS AND INCLUDING A FACE WALL EXTENDING FROM THE OUTER PORTION OF ONE WALL OF SAID PAIR OF SIDE WALLS TO THE OUTER PORTION OF THE OTHER WALL OF SAID PAIR, A PAIR OF FLEXIBLE STRAPS, EACH OF SAID STRAPS HAVING PARALLEL SIDE EDGES SPACED APART SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME AMOUNT AS SAID SIDE WALLS, AND MEANS FOR SECURING SAID STRAPS AT ONE END THEREOF TO SAID FRUSTUM ON A DIAMETER THEREOF WHEREBY EACH ONE OF SAID STRAPS IS LOCATED WITHIN ONE OF SAID CHANNELS AND PASSES THROUGH THE ADJACENT ONE OF SAID SLITS WITH THE EDGES OF SAID STRAP IN SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUS ABUTMENT WITH SAID SIDE WALLS OF SAID ONE OF SAID CHANNELS. 